Elise Hawthorne
Becoming a superstar fashion designer obviously takes phenomenal talent, vision and creativity but one has to simultaneously understand how various materials fall on the body – how to cut cloth to flatter a woman in places she may or may not need a little help. Plus there is the question of how to stand out in an already overcrowded consumer space – PR and marketing wizardry is more often than not required.
Roy Halston Frowick known simply Halston had all of the above talents and then some.
French fashion-film specialist Frédéric Tcheng (Dior and I) turns his camera on iconic fashion designer Halston, tracking his hedonistic rise in ’70s New York to his crashing fall. A gay boy in conservative Iowa, Roy Halston Frowick reinvented himself as a suave sophisticate. He started out as a milliner for Bergdorf Goodman’s, famously crafting a pillbox hat for Jackie Kennedy for her husband’s inauguration, then switched to clothing.
His elegant and (according to long-time friend Liza Minnelli) very wearable costumes were soon to be seen on the shoulders of the rich and famous. In the era of Studio 54, the notorious Halston partied with them all. His empire grew, everything from luggage to perfume and uniforms. In 1983, he signed a billion-dollar deal with retail chain J.C. Penney – ultimately a very poor decision indeed which spelt the beginning of the end. Tcheng delivers a fascinating portrait of an absolutely fabulous fashion legend.
This charming documentary has been given the nod by many of Halston’s dear friends. Many whom were interviewed include pop icon Liza Minnelli, renowned director Joel Schumacher, fashion designer Naeem Khan and models Marisa Berenson and Pat Cleveland; all lovingly tell us about the fascinating man behind the legend – warts and all. He was a well-known control freak and sometime bully; yet loved by his assistants, cutters and his numerous Halstonettes.
Also featuring fashion blogger-turned-actress Tavi Gevinson as an archivist in a series of dramatic re-enactments; this documentary is a love letter to a true fashion star whose brightness left us way too soon.
Roy Halston Frowick, I salute your genius, you are missed by many.
Trailer: www.youtube.com
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